Light hanger

ABSTRACT

A modular portable light hanger that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled to a tray stand by one person without using any tools or hardware, each corner of the stand preferably interconnecting with a light hanger corner pole, and the four corner poles interconnecting with perimeter poles forming a substantially rectangular or square perimeter, providing structure about which equipment such as light fixtures, air moving fans, ducting, etc. may by suspended.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/871,811 filed 30 Sep. 2015.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of stands and light hangers, andspecifically to stands and light hangers used for indoor gardening oraquatics that require no tools or additional hardware when assembling ordisassembling. More particularly, this invention relates to light hangermeans configured to assemble and disassemble without tools and to beadaptable for use with tray stands.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to knock-down portable stands, such asused to support heavy items at level elevations, and light hangers forsuspending equipment such as lights or air handling fans and associatedducting over a plant growing environment. The invention aims to providea portable stand and light hanger of modular construction that easilyassembles and disassembles without the need for tools and withoutrequiring fasteners or hardware of any type.

Indoor gardeners utilize trays for starting, propagating, and growingplants. Ebb & flow or drip system gardeners often load a tray withplants, growing media, and water, which in aggregate can become tooheavy for the common card table or plastic fold out table to support.Leaving the tray on the ground is not a good option as the standardplacement of the water reservoir is directly below the tray. Having thetray elevated for easier plant tending is further desired to make thegrowing process more enjoyable for the user, and accessible for thedisabled grower.

A stand used for growing plants that supports a propagation tray mustmaintain the tray at a level elevation to facilitate complete drainingof water and nutrient solutions from the growing media and tray. As thebottom of the tray must be level to the ground in order to optimize ebband flow gardening practice, the stand that holds the tray must besturdy enough to prevent the tray from flexing or tilting, keeping thetray level and undistorted.

Like a stand used in propagation of plants, a stand used for fish tanksupport must also maintain a level elevation, and be strong enough tohold the weight of an aquarium, full of water, fish, and rock, with overhead lights, pumps, and other components necessary for indoor aquaticpractice located either above, below, or on the stand. As the nature ofaquatics and growing plants includes the presence of water, the standmust not only be strong and rigid when assembled, but also resistant towater damage, and will not fail if occasionally soaked or saturated,which makes stands constructed of wood or wood composite materialsundesirable.

A stand that is easy to assemble and disassemble, with the benefit ofbreaking it down simply to fit into a compact storage area is greatlydesired. With the disabled user in mind, the assembly and disassemblyprocess should be easy to understand with no small fasteners or hardwarethat would be difficult to secure with arthritis or joint pain. Ideally,no tools or hardware would be required.

A recent answer to the ‘stand’ problem presented has been productssimilar to the “Gorilla Tray Stand” that require fixating a plurality ofsmall threaded fasteners to assemble or disassemble. The structure ofthe stand itself holds the tray level to the ground, is rigid, andallows for easy moving. However, the short comings of this tray stand isthe complicated assembly instructions, difficult to fasten bolts andscrews, difficult disassembly, all requiring the use of specializedtools.

Hence, it can be seen in the indoor gardening and indoor aquaticsindustry, especially for ebb and flow or drip gardening practices, thatthere is a need for an improved modular stand, capable of securing apropagation tray or fish tank such that it remains level and elevated tothe ground, provides space under the tray or tank for a reservoir or thelike, allows accessibility from all sides, is mobile, and easilyassembled and disassembled. Further, other fields of art also benefitfrom a stand that is versatile in application and robust in design asdescribed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The stand and light hanger assembles easily without tools, additionalhardware, or complicated instructions. In preferred modular embodiments,the stand has four frame rails with each having similar construction. Ateach corner there is a leg that facilitates the interlocking of theframe rails without fasteners, each able to receive a wheel or caster onthe ground end. Each corner of the stand preferably interconnects with alight hanger corner pole, and the four corner poles are interconnectedwith perimeter poles forming a substantially rectangular or squareperimeter across which cross-wise equipment/light hanger poles aretoolessly attached, providing cross members over the tray stand growingarea from which equipment such as light fixtures, air moving fans,ducting, etc. may by suspended. The entire stand and light hangerdisassembles by pulling apart the corner poles, perimeter poles, andcross-wise equipment/light hanger poles, pulling each corner pole froman adapter interconnecting the corner pole with a corner of the traystand, then pulling up on each side rail and removing the legs, allowingthe stand to quickly break down.

The components are preferably long and tubular allowing for compactstorage or easy packing for travel or transport. The stand and lighthanger can support substantial weights, and with the addition of crosssupports on the stand, the loading capacities of the stand can besignificantly increased. The stand cross supports fixate either on thetop of the frame when used as a table top, or on the bottom of the framewhen used to support a fish tank or propagation tray. When used as apropagation tray stand the device provides 360 degree access to itemssupported on or within the stand and items located below the stand. Inthe disclosed embodiment described herein, the stand is of just onespecific application as a mobile plant tray stand for growing plants,whereby the plant tray fittingly inserts from the top and rests on theframe and within the stand, while a reservoir is located below tofacilitate ebb and flow type gardening practice. One skilled in the artwill quickly realize that many other uses and applications are readilyavailable for the stand, including but not in any way limited to a quickto assemble table, fish tank stand, marketing display, or moving dolly.

Objects and Advantages

These and other advantages and features of the present invention aredescribed herein so as to make the present invention understandable toone of ordinary skill in the art:

1. Versatile in application

2. Robust in construction

3. Preferably only eight stand components: four frame rails and fourlegs; and preferably only eleven poles with four stand-to-corner poleadapters, four perimeter pole corner connectors, and six cross-wiseequipment/light hanger pole connector ends for the preferably threecross-wise equipment/light hanger poles

4. Preferably only three unique stand components: base frame, sideframe, and leg; or two unique stand components if base and side framesare constructed each with oppositely oriented leg dowel receivers suchthat each base and side frame are of identical construction

5. Optional stand cross bars easily attach sides for increasing loadingcapacity

6. Interlocking at the corners provides a rigid and sturdy stand

7. Rigidity and strength increase with added load

8. Movable with inclusion of wheels at the bottom of each of the fourlegs

9. No tools or special equipment needed to assemble/disassemble

10. Simple to understand assemble/disassemble instructions

11. Fast assembly/disassembly

12. Stores in compact spaces when disassembled

13. Easily transportable when disassembled

14. No hardware

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Elements in the figures have not necessarily been portrayed to scale inorder to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of thesevarious elements of just one embodiment of the invention. Furthermore,elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in theindustry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of theinvention, thus the drawings are generalized in form in the interest ofclarity and conciseness. Only one embodiment of the stand and lighthanger is shown in the FIGS. 1-7 and one embodiment of the light hangeris shown in the FIGS. 9-13, however, many other embodiments are readilyavailable by simply modifying the length and shape of the sides andpoles to form different frame perimeters of squares or rectangle framesfor receiving flat table tops, rectangular or square bottomed aquariums,tool boxes, or essentially anything having a four sided bottom, andhaving a light hanger with different proportional height or number ofcross-wise equipment/light hanger poles. The depth of the stand's framemay be increased or decreased without changing the inventive featuresfor applications requiring a deeper inset of the item to be supported.Other applications for the stand include moving dolly's or mobiledisplay stands commonly used at conventions or marketing shows. Thecompact storage and easy assembly/disassembly creates versatility infunctional use, while the rigid interlocking strength and wheeledmobility creates almost limitless relevance as an appliance in the home,garage, garden, or convention center.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the modular tray standas disassembled in an exploded view.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the side frame shown of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base frame shown of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled embodiment shown in FIG. 1as exploded.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the side frame shown of FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the base frame shown of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cross support shown of FIGS. 1 and4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the leg shown in FIGS. 1 and 4pre-fabrication.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a modular portablelight hanger as disassembled in an exploded view.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a hanger-to-tray stand cornertransition, in one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a hanger-to-tray stand corner transition, inone embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a modular portable light hanger asassembled and combined with a modular tray stand, according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 13 is a perspective partial view of a hanger-to-tray stand cornertransition as combined with a light hanger corner pole and perimetermembers and leg of a tray stand, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a tray stand leg as disassembled in anexploded view, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following discussion that addresses one embodiment of the presentinvention, reference is made to the accompanying figures that form apart hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, one specificembodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be realized and utilized withchanges made without departing from the scope of the present invention.Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the modular traystand as disassembled in an exploded view. The preferred embodiment isconstructed primarily of square tubing, but could be constructed fromsheet metal, round tubing, cast aluminum or injection molded in plasticand depending on the application, would benefit from combinations of theabove materials in the construction of the stand.

The frame perimeter 6 is defined by the top surfaces of the first baseframe 30A, second base frame 30B, a first side frame 40A, and secondside frame 40B. The frame perimeter 6 is the surface on or in which thesupported item may rest. For the application as a plant tray stand, theplant tray would insert within the frame perimeter 6, and rest upon thetop of the frame perimeter 6. For heavier support applications, crosssupports 10 are added to increase rigidity to the stand 1, while alsoproviding additional support under the item to be supported, in thisembodiment the propagation tray, to prevent distortion or unlevelsupport. The frame perimeter 6 may be of any four sided shape having anydesired length and width matching the requirements of the item to besupported. The depth 8 of the stand is also adaptable to accommodate thedesired item to be supported.

In FIG. 1, the frame perimeter 6 is defined and described in clockwiseorder by a first base frame 30A, a first side frame 40A, a second baseframe 30B and a second side frame 40B. At each corner 7A-D, a leg 90extends down towards the ground where a wheel 100 maybe be convenientlyengaged for the purposes of making the stand 1 mobile.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the first base frame 30A and second baseframes 30B are identical in construction, thereby making for economicalmanufacture. For the manufacture of the preferred embodiment, the basetop tube 31 and base bottom tubes 32 are constructed of square metaltubing cut at the same length matching the corresponding frame perimeter6 shape and size. The base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 arelocated parallel to one another, at a distance between each matching thedesired depth 8 of the stand 1. A base flat plate 34 is welded onto eachof the ends of the base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 such that atab 35 extends past the base bottom tube 32 at both of the bottom tube's32 ends. For the preferred embodiments shown, the base receiver 33 isconstructed from square tubing, and in length matching half the lengthof the flat plate 34 not including the tab 35. The base receiver 33 iswelded to each base flat plate 34 as shown.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the first side frame 40A and second sideframe 40B are identical, and constructed in the same manner as the firstbase frame 30A and second base frame 30B with the only difference beingthe side flat plate 44 being shorter as no tab extends past the side toptube 41 or side bottom tube 42.

In FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the preferred embodiment benefits from the sidereceiver 43 being of the same length as the base receiver 33, whichallows for easier and more economical manufacture as all of thereceivers are of the same construction.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 8, the four legs 90 have at least one flatside 110 and a dowel 120 on one end. For mobile applications a wheel 100is engaged at the opposing leg 90 end from the dowel 120. The dowel 120is of sufficient size to fittingly insert within the base receivers 33and side receivers 43. As shown in the preferred embodiment, the dowel120 is constructed of round tubing that is just small enough to fitwithin the base receivers 33 and side receivers 43. Tubing was used inthe preferred embodiment to keep the overall weight down, however, thedowel 120 may be of solid rod material, or schedule 40 pipe, alldepending on the application.

As shown assembled in FIG. 1, the dowel 120 does not extend out of theside receiver 43, however, in other embodiments and applications thedowel 120 is of greater length and extends out of the receiver 43providing mounting structure to facilitate the addition of other itemssuch as light racks, plant training web, irrigation systems, covers, andother added features to increase the versatility of the stand.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of the presented embodiment for the first andsecond base frames 30A and 30B with the base receiver 33, base flatplate 34 and tab 35. A base top tube 31 and base bottom tube 32 fixateto the flat plate 34 by weld as shown, but any other fixation means issufficient.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the presented embodiment for the first andsecond side frames 40A and 40B, with the side receivers 43, side flatplates 44 and no tab. A side top tube 41 and a side bottom tube 42fixate to the flat plate 44 by weld as shown, but any other fixationmeans is sufficient.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show exploded views of exemplary side 40A and base 30Aframes, where the side receivers 43 and base receivers 33 are shownmounted with the same orientation on either the upper portion or lowerportion of the side flat plates 44 or base flat plates 34, respectively.For example, the side receivers 43 are shown in FIG. 2 as being mountedon the lower portion of the side flat plates 44 nearest the side bottomtube 42, in one embodiment, but may be mounted on the upper portion ofthe side flat plates 44 nearest the side top tube 41 as shown in FIGS. 1and 5. Similarly, the base receivers 33 may be mounted on the lowerportion of the base flat plate 34 as shown in FIG. 3, or, in otherembodiments, mounted on the upper portion of the base flat plate 34 (notshown).

In one embodiment (not shown), side receiver 43 may be mounted on thelower portion of the side flat plate 44 on one end of the side frame40A, with the side receiver 43 on the other end of the side frame 40Amounted on the upper portion of the side flat plate 44, and basereceiver 33 may be mounted on the lower portion of the base flat plate34 on one end of the base frame 30A, with the base receiver 34 on theother end of base frame 30A mounted on the upper portion of the baseflat plate 34. In one embodiment (not shown), both side and base framesare constructing as above, with one receiver mounted nearest the toptube and the other receiver mounted nearest the bottom tube, and thecombination of two side frames and two base frames may be assembled toform a tray stand having an overall appearance as that shown in FIG. 4.

In yet another alternative embodiment (not shown), both side frames andbase frames may be made to be identical, such as for examplesubstantially similar to the base frame 30A shown in FIG. 3 but having areceiver 33 at one end mounted on a lower portion of the flate plate 34and the other receiver 33 mounted on the opposite end of the frame on anupper portion of the opposite end's flate plate 34. With fouridentically constructed frames 30A, according to one embodiment, a traystand may be assembled having the overall appearance as that shown inFIG. 4, the resulting tray stand requiring even fewer unique componentsthan the tray stand 1 shown in FIG. 1.

In various embodiments, the tab 35 shown in FIG. 3 may comprise flatplate 34 material extending downward (for rotational locking contactwith leg 90) below the lower most surface of bottom tube 32 (as shown,for example, in FIG. 6), or the tab 35 may comprise a portion of flatplate 34 extending downward (for rotational locking contact with leg 90)below the lower most edge of receiver 33 but not necessarily extendingbelow the lower most surface of bottom tube 32.

FIG. 4 shows an assembled tray stand 1 comprised of the components shownin FIG. 1, in preferred embodiments. The overall shape of the frameperimeter 6 is preferably rectangular or square. In embodiments notshown, the tray stand may comprise an extra pair of corners such as 7Band 7C interconnecting the base frame 30B with an additional pair ofside frames 40A and 40B, the resulting tray stand having six legs 90,base frames 30A and 30B, and two side frames 40A and two side frames40B. Similarly, in embodiments not shown, the tray stand may comprise anextra pair of corners such as 7C and 7D interconnecting the side frame40B with an additional pair of base frames 30A and 30B, the resultingtray stand having six legs 90, side frames 40 and 40B, and two baseframes 30A and two base frames 30B. Likewise, in similar fashion asdescribed above for the addition of either another pair of side frames(plus two additional legs) or another pair of base frames (plus twoadditional legs), additional pairs of either side or base frames (andcorresponding legs) may be added, the resulting tray stand comprisingthe basic components shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 but having two extra legs,four extra legs, and so on.

FIG. 8 shows a close up exploded view of the leg 90 having the flat side110, and dowel 120. The leg 90 is able to accept wheel, as wheels arenot desirable in all applications, so having the wheels easily detach isdesired, and many wheel attachment and detachment methods are well knownin the art and therefore not disclosed herein. In preferred embodiments,a lower portion of the leg 90 comprises at least one flat surface 110for rotational locking contact and engagement with a lower portion offlat plate 34 or tab 35, depending upon the particular embodimentregarding mounting of the receiver 33 to the flat plate 34. In oneembodiment, the lower portion of leg 90 comprises square or rectangulartubing. In preferred embodiments, an upper portion of the leg 90comprises a dowel 120 which inerttingly and fixatedly fits within thelower portion of the leg 90 so that insertion of the dowel 120 portioninto the receivers (such as receivers 33 and 43) allows longitudinalinsertion of the dowel 120 into each receiver with the lower portion ofthe leg 90 unable to insertingly fit into at least one of the tworeceivers that comprise an interlocking corner joint of the tray stand.In one embodiment, the dowel 120 intertingly fits within the receiver33, and the lower portion 110 is unable to intertingly fit into thereceiver 33, the lower portion of the leg 90 thereby providing a stopand weight bearing surfaces preventing further longitudinally downwardtravel of the receivers along the leg 90.

In preferred embodiments, the dowel 120 comprises round material orround tube stock as shown in FIG. 8 that is fixatingly inserted (such asinserted and welded or glued in place) into the lower portion 110. Thedowel 120 is preferably sized to insertingly fit within receivers 33 and43. In alternate embodiments, the dowel 120 may be differently shapedyet still insertingly fit (for easy hand assembly and disassembly of atray stand corner) into receivers 33 and 43. For example, in oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a tray stand leg 1490 may comprise adowel 1420 having a diamond shape 1010. The diamond shape 1010 may beformed, for example, by using press brake folded square stock tubing.The dowel 1420 having a diamond shape cross section is fixatinglyinserted into the lower leg portion 1430, with the lower leg portion1430 having at least one flat surface for rotational locking engagementwith a lower portion of a flat plate 34 or tab 35. In variousembodiments, the tray stand in FIGS. 1 and 4 may utilize legs 1490 inplace of legs 90.

FIG. 7 shows a close up view of the cross supports 10 and U sleeve 20.These cross supports 10 may be constructed with adjustability to enabledifferent depths of plant trays to be used as discussed earlier.Ideally, the U sleeve 20 is of shape and size such that the base toptube 31, base bottom tube 32, side top tube 41 or side bottom tube 42fittingly insert within the crux of the “U” shape, thereby allowingfixation, without fasteners, screws, or bolts. For applications tosupport great mass, or in the indoor gardener setting, requiringsignificant water and growing media in the tray or for deeper trays thatsimply hold more weight, cross supports 10 having slip over U sleeve 20provide under tray support, while increasing strength, stability, andrigidity to the entire tray stand as shown in FIG. 1 assembled.

One possible method of assembling the stand by a solo assembly involvesa first step, which is to align the dowel 120 of each leg 90 shown inFIG. 8, with the base receivers 33 shown in FIG. 3, and insert the dowel120 first through the tab 35 end of the base receivers 33 one at a timeuntil all dowels 120 are fully and fittingly inserted within the basereceivers 33. Each dowel 120 should protrude out the other side of eachbase receiver 33 of each tab 35 parallels in mating contact to a flatside 110 of each leg.

The second step in a one person assembly is to locate the now insertedlegs 90 and the first and second base frames 30A and 30B parallel to oneanother, and spaced apart at a distance approximately matching thelength of the first side frame 40A and second side frame 40B.

The third and final step in a one person assembly is to position thefirst side frame 40A such that the exposed side flat plate 44 end of theside receivers 43 are over and aligned with the dowels 120 protrudingfrom the first base frame 30A and the corresponding end of second baseframe 30B such that when the first side frame 40A is brought down theexposed flat plate 44 comes to rest against one side of thecorresponding base receiver 33, and the dowels 120 fittingly slidewithin the corresponding side receivers 43 such that corners 7A and 7Bare defined and three sides of the perimeter frame 6 is defined as shownin FIG. 1. The second side frame 40B is slid over the remainingprotruding dowels 120 in the same manner as the first side frame 40A,thereby completing the four sides and frame perimeter 6 and definingcorners 7C and 7D as shown assembled in FIG. 4. Disassembly is the sameexcept in reverse order.

Another method of assembly involves assembling the stand one corner 7A-Dat a time: First by inserting one end of the first leg 90 through oneend of the first base frame 30A and then inserting the same end of thefirst leg 90 through one end of the first side frame 40A, locating theother end of the first leg towards the ground, thereby forming a firstcorner 7A of the stand 1; Second, by inserting one end of the second leg90 through one end of the second base frame 30B, and then inserting thesame end of the second leg 90 through the other end of the first sideframe 40A, locating the other end of the second leg 90 towards theground thereby forming a second corner 7B; Third, by inserting one endof the third leg 90 through the other end of the first base frame 30A,and then inserting the same end of the third leg through one end of thesecond side frame 40B, locating the other end of the third leg towardsthe ground thereby forming the third corner 7C; and Fourth, insertingone end of the fourth leg 90 through the other end of the second baseframe 30B, and then inserting the same end of the fourth leg 90 throughthe other end of the second side frame 40B, locating the other end ofthe fourth leg towards the ground thereby forming the fourth corner 7D.When all four legs have been inserted as per steps above, the stand 1will ready to receive plant tray, table top, fish tank, or any othersquare or rectangular base object.

Once assembled as shown in the preferred embodiment in FIGS. 1-8, eachbase flat plate 34 and side flat plate 44 parallels in mating contactwith a corresponding side of a base receiver 33 and side receiver 43,whereby the first and second base frames 30A and 30B rigidly interlockwith the first and second side frames 40A and 40B having the dowel 120maintain the interlocking alignment and rigidly engage the correspondingleg 90 at the corresponding corners 7A-D. The weight of the componentsof the stand 1 provides the constant force to maintain the interlock atthe corners locking the frame together once assembled as shown in FIG.4. As weight is added to the frame perimeter, or at optional crosssupports 10, the components deflect and distort minimally therebytightening the interlocking effect at the corners 7A-D, and increasingthe strength and rigidity of the stand 1. In short, the more weightadded, the stronger the interlock, and more stable the stand becomes.Remove the weight, and the stand 1 easily knocks down into it's modularcomponents for quick and convenient storage or transport.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a modular portablelight hanger 900 as disassembled in an exploded view. In preferredembodiments, the light hanger 900 comprises four corner (or wall) poles902, interconnected with four (ceiling) perimeter poles 904 usingpress-fit type 3-way corner connectors 910, at least one equipment/lighthanger pole such as the equipment/light hanger poles 906 andequipment/light hanger pole 908 having equipment/light hanger connectors912 at each end for tooless interconnection with perimeter poles 904 (asshown), and four hanger-to-tray stand corner transition adapters 1000for toolessly interconnecting each of the corner poles 902 with a cornerjoint of the tray stand. Each of the poles 902, 904, 906, 908 preferablycomprise tubular metal, but may comprise other materials and shapes,such as square or rectangular material. And each of the 3-way connectors910 and hanger connectors 912 preferably comprise plastic connectorssubstantially as shown and sized to snugly and securely receive andinterconnect the poles 902, 904, 906, and 908, as shown in FIG. 12. Inpreferred embodiments, the light hanger 900 comprises eleven poles, eachsubstantially identical in diameter and length and interchangeable withone another so that a pole used as a corner pole 902 may be repurposedas a perimeter pole 904 or hanger pole 906 or 908. Preferably the cornerconnectors 910 and hanger pole end connectors 912 fit over the ends ofany pole. In other embodiments, not shown, poles of varying lengths maybe used. For example, the four corner poles 902 may be of differentlength than the perimeter poles 904 and hanger poles 906 and 908. Andfor example, the perimeter poles 904 (and corresponding hanger poles 906and 908) may be of different lengths from one another if the base andside frames comprising the perimeter 6 of the tray stand 1 form arectangle instead of a square.

In preferred embodiments, each of the poles 902, 904, 906, and 908comprising the light hanger 900 comprise pole members having the samecross-sectional dimensions. Preferably, each of the corner and perimeterpoles share a common cross-sectional diameter.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a hanger-to-tray stand cornertransition (or adapter) 1000, in one embodiment. The hanger-to-traystand adapter 1000 preferably comprises a unitary component having acorner (wall) pole engaging receiver 1020 sized to receive an end of acorner pole 902. The corner pole engaging receiver 1020 is fixablymounted to a corner transition overhang portion 1030, upon which first1040 and second 1050 corner transition tray stand outer engagementsurfaces extend in a downward direction, parallel to and engaging with atray stand leg 90, opposite to the direction that the corner poleengaging receiver 1020 extends, the corner pole engaging receiver 1020extending upward and parallel with a corresponding inserted corner pole902. Also preferably extending parallel to the first 1040 and second1050 corner transition tray stand outer engagement surfaces, is adiamond shaped dowel 1010, sized and shaped to insertingly fixate withinan open top of a tray stand receiver such as side frame receiver 43.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a hanger-to-tray stand corner transition1000, in one embodiment. The diamond shaped dowel 1010 is preferablysized and oriented with respect to the first corner transition traystand outer engagement surface 1040 and the second corner transitiontray stand outer engagement surface 1050 so as to provide a space atleast as large as the material thickness of the tray stand receiver,such as side receiver 43. The diamond shaped dowel 1010 is preferablysized so that each point (or corner) of its star/diamond cross sectionalshape snugly fits within an inside corner of square tube stockcomprising each tray stand receiver 43.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a modular portable light hanger 900 asassembled and combined with a modular tray stand 1, according to variousembodiments. The light hanger components shown in FIG. 9 are mostpreferably assembled (and disassembled) by hand and without any tools orfasteners or hardware, and are likewise preferably assembled (anddisassembled) by hand and without any tools or hardware to a tray stand1 with four adapters 1000 providing the interconnection between thelight hanger 900 and the tray stand 1.

FIG. 13 is a perspective partial view of a hanger-to-tray stand cornertransition 1000 as combined with a light hanger corner pole 902 andperimeter members 6 and leg 90 of a tray stand 1, according to variousembodiments. As shown in FIG. 13, the transition (adapter) 1000comprises a substantially flat overhang member upon which a corner poleengaging receiver 1020 extends upward and from which corner transitiontray stand outer engagement surfaces 1040 and 1050 and corner transitiondowel 1010 extend downward. The adapter 1000 preferably comprisesoverhang material 1310 that is substantially coplanar (within a materialthickness of the overhang material) to the upper most surfaces of (andplane formed by) the tray stand perimeter 6. In preferred embodiments,the adapter 1000 comprises a receiver 1020 sized to receive a round tubelight hanger corner pole 902, flat overhang material 1320 whereby thereceiver 1020 is oriented so as not to cover the perimeter 6 or cornerof the tray stand 1, and tray stand receiver engaging material such asthe engaging surfaces 1040 and 1050 and dowel 1010. The receiverengaging material 1040 and 1050 may comprise surfaces that extendfurther downward for contact engagement with larger surface areas of thetray stand receiver than shown. The flat overhang material 1310 may, insome embodiments, extend across the top surface of tray stand perimeter6 more than shown. In most preferred embodiments, the flat overhangmaterial 1310 of the transition/adapter 1000 orients the receiver 1020so that the edges of a plant growing tray may overlap the perimeter 6 ofthe tray stand and allow enough space for the transition/adapter 1000 toreceive and interconnect with corner poles 902 for hand/tooless assemblyand disassembly of a light hanger 900 in combination with a tray stand,substantially as shown in FIG. 12.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoingspecification are used therein as terms of description and not oflimitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms andexpressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and describedor portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the inventionis defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular portable equipment hanger for use witha modular portable tray stand, comprising: four corner poles; fourperimeter poles interconnectable with the top ends of said corner polesby hand and without the need for tools or hardware; and four corneradapters, each having a dowel directed downward and insertable into anopen end of a tubular receiver of a tray stand corner joint, at leastone surface extending parallel to said dowel for engagement with anexterior surface of said tubular receiver, and a corner pole receiverdirected opposite said dowel and sized to receive insertion of a lowerend of one of said corner poles, said corner adapters interconnectablewith said corner poles by hand and without the need for tools orhardware.
 2. The hanger of claim 1 wherein said corner poles andperimeter poles comprise round tubular metal poles of the same diameter.3. The hanger of claim 1 wherein said poles and adapters are repeatablyinterconnectable for repeatable assembly and disassembly by hand andwithout the need for tools or hardware.
 4. The hanger of claim 1 whereinsaid dowel has a diamond shaped cross section and is sized to snugly androtatingly securely insert into square tubular material used for saidtubular receiver of said tray stand corner joint.
 5. The hanger of claim1 further comprising a tray stand having four legs and four sides, saidfour legs and four sides being interconnectable for repeatable assemblyand disassembly by hand and without the need for tools or hardware.